Main points of the new pay deal

A deal struck with trade unions to cut the public service pay bill by €1 billion includes salary cuts, increased working hours and pay rise freezes.

Some of the main features of the three-year agreement which would run to June 2016 include:

* Those currently on a working week of less than 35 hours will in future work a minimum of 37 hours

* Those working between 35 and under 39 hours will have to put in at least 39 hours, with additional hours helping to cut public sector numbers

* Reduced overtime rates, down to time and half for those on less than €35,000; time and a quarter for those earning more than €35,000

* Public servants currently on a 39 hour week will provide an unpaid hour’s overtime

* So-called twilight payments - for work between 6pm and 8pm - will be abolished

* A reduced Sunday rate of pay, down from double-time to time-and-three-quarters.

* A three-year freeze on annual pay rises for those earning more than €65,000

* Public sector workers with salaries between €35,000 and €65,000 will get two 15-monthly rather than annual pay rises over the period of the agreement.

* Those on less than €35,000 will have a three-month postponement on their first due pay rise, before returning to annual increments as normal

* Those at the top of their pay scales will have to give up six days annual leave over the next three years or offer an equivalent cash deduction from their salary

* High-earners will have their salaries and allowances cut 5.5 per cent for those between €65,000 and €80,000; with 8 per cent off earnings between €80,000 and €150,000; 9 per cent off pay between €150,000 and €185,000; and 10 per cent shaved off any earnings above €185,000

* The cuts would mean someone on €100,000 salary and allowances would be down €6,000 to €94,000; someone on €160,000 would have their earnings cut to €149,100; while a top public servant on €200,000 would see their pay cut to €185,350

* Supervision and substitution payments for teaching staff to be ended.

* Other cutbacks include changes to flexitime, work sharing arrangements, redeployment provisions, new performance management arrangements and pay-grade restructuring.